Trust Issues
by CheatingAtMonkeyBall
Summary: On a dare, Tori Vega starts at Hollywood Arts as a boy named Toren Vega. On the way he becomes friends… or maybe more than friends with the not-so trusting Jade West. Will Tori be able to keep her secret? And what will Jade think if she finds out? Jori
1. Chapter 1: Oh Boy

**Trust Issues**

Tori Vega growled as she slammed her locker shut. It was her first day at Hollywood Arts, and this is how she made an appearance? She had absolutely rocked the Make it Shine song, and everyone in the school had already seen her at her best. Now? It was all thanks to dumb old Andre and his dumb old ideas.

After the performance at the showcase, Andre rushed her out to a club to celebrate. They got drunk, and he tried to get with her. She pushed him away and automatically made a gagging noise. How could she have forgotten to mention that she was a lesbian?

That was the embedding of the idea. The terrible awful idiotic idea. Naturally Andre had a few questions; most people did. His question was just a little bit more… blunt. "So you get horny like a guy?" In her intoxicated state, that was perfectly logical. Every girl she saw that she found attractive caused at least some reaction down there. That's what happened to guys right? So Tori nodded.

"I practically am one," she commented, a large burp following. The two burst into giggles.

Andre mumbled after their laughing subsided, "You should come to school as a guy."

Tori chuckled. "I could, but I don't know how I could sneak out of the house without anyone knowing."

Andre pondered this dilemma. "I could drive you to school. You could get ready on the way there."

Tori took a sip of some beer from her bottle. "I would need to cut my hair. My parents should be cool with that."

The two were actually considering this happening, and now, here Tori was. She was not Victoria Vega the awesome girl that rocked the Showcase, but she was Toren Vega, a mysterious boy that was new at the school. Of course to the principal she was just a girl in baggy boy clothes that had requested her name be Tori on the roll. It wasn't a big deal to him. Lots of students dressed outside of their typical gender roles, and they were welcome to express themselves. That was kinda the philosophy behind Hollywood Arts.

Andre walked up to her with a smirk. "You made it, man!" He congratulated before giving her a friendly bro-hug. Tori gave him an unamused scowl and scratched at her fake side burns. "Nice face job, by the way," he commented, noticing her facial features were muted by neutral tones, and her lips were much less defined.

Suddenly a boy with a puppet walked up to the duo. "Hey Andre!" He offered. Tori briefly remembered seeing him at the showcase. "Who's your friend?" the boy asked with an inflection on 'friend.'  
"Why are you so lame?" the puppet exclaimed with an urban accent.  
Andre gave Tori a look to prepare herself. "This is my friend Toren. He's new. Toren, this is Robbie and Rex."  
Tori gave a nonchalant nod. "You can call me Tori." Internally she gave herself props. Her man voice sounded spot on. Saved from further explaining, the bell rang. "Nice meetin' you," Tori raised an arm to wave before trekking with Andre into Sikowitz' classroom.  
She walked in first, looking toward Andre in mid conversation before walking face first into a girl with black boots and black coffee. Needless to say, the coffee spilt all over and Tori was flabbergasted. Great, the first hot girl she sees, and she's already ruined her chances. Okay, man voice ready. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." The girl stood there frozen, covered in coffee, a pierced eyebrow raised in expectation. "Here, let me help clean up," Tori reached into her backpack and took out some tissue paper. She began rubbing at the ground in front of her and offered some tissue to the girl, who still just stood there glaring. Tori rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on. You can't just stand there covered in coffee." Impulsively Tori reached out to wipe the coffee out of the girl's shirt, but she grabbed Tori's wrist before it made contact.  
"Don't you dare touch me," the girl hissed before storming out of the classroom.  
Andre let out a shiver and lead Tori to a seat. "Who was that?" she asked, still using her man voice seeing as many people were staring at her in amazement.  
Andre glanced around as if expecting a monster to pop out. "That's Jade West. She's super scary, and she's been out for blood since her boyfriend Beck broke up with her."  
Tori rolled her eyes. "Oh please," she responded. Girls did not get that hung up over guys, and if Jade was so terrifying on her own, she had to be strong enough to get over some boy.  
"Alright, class! Please take your seats and set your butts in them," a strange looking man danced into the room barefoot holding a coconut. "Where's Jade?" Oh, he must be the teacher… sort of?  
A girl with red hair squeaked out a response, "That cute new boy spilt coffee on her, and she ran away!" Tori looked back at the girl who squealed and ducked her head. She thought Tori was cute?  
The teacher, Sikowitz, nodded, "Thank you, Cat." He then looked at Tori. "Okay, newbie, since you made her leave, I'm going to send you on a mission to go find her. Consider it a way to get to know your way around the school. Also, don't be afraid to check places that say 'keep out.' I wouldn't put it past Jade." Tori was about to nod and stand up when the teacher suddenly asked, "Oh yeah, you have a name don't you?"  
Tori cleared her throat before responding, "I'm Toren, but you can call me Tori."  
"Hi Tori!" Cat shouted from behind before ducking her head again. Tori smiled before standing up and leaving the classroom.

_So I was watching Victorious, and guess what happened? Jori fanfiction happened! Hoorah! You can also find this story on Wattpad which I now have. Find me at "franklymadear". Also hit me up on tumblr i-o-u-a-bad-wolf :3 also, please review if you like! I'll update as soon as I can._

_-CheatingAtMonkeyBall_


	2. Chapter 2: Nice to Meet You

Jade West growled as she messed with her scissors, adding another scar or two to her stomach. Her clothes still reeked of coffee, but she didn't care. Day six, she thought, tracing her fresh wounds with her finger. Jade wasn't stupid. She knew how to cut herself without making it permanent. It was never deep, just a little splice of the skin. She didn't want to kill herself or ruin her body or anything. It was just something to do and it was nice to see the blood on her skin.

Dammit, she had left her bag in the classroom. Now she had to wait for it to dry before she went back. Not that she cared if she went to class. How long had it been now? Ten, fifteen minutes? Took them long enough to send for her. Maybe they didn't care to have her in class.

She couldn't believe that jerk tried to touch her. Was that the plan, huh? To feel her up? She didn't even know that guy. She knew people were spreading rumors about her and Beck, but she didn't go all the way with him. She never would go all the way with him. That's why he left her; she was a prude. He didn't think she was enough, nope. There was always something.

Suddenly the knob turned, and she pulled her shirt down, hissing briefly at the contact with the fresh blood. "Hello?" A boy's head popped in, and there he was. That jerk that spilt coffee on her. "Oh hey, I've been looking for you."

Jade fixed a glare on him, her mind racing. Was he going to try to touch her again? He had no reason not to try. She was all alone and vulnerable, but she was also holding scissors. The boy entered and sat down in front of her, resting his arms on his knees. He didn't say anything, didn't try anything. He just sat there. "What?" She snarled. He smirked. "Do you want me to hit you?"

The boy shook his head, his bangs swinging back and forth. "No, it's just funny. My friend said you were out for blood, but I honestly think you don't give a shit." Jade sat up a little bit and snipped her scissors a few times. That didn't sound like he was going to attack her? "I'm sorry for spilling coffee on you. It was an honest mistake. I just want to know you're okay. I don't want to make any enemies on the first day of school."

Jade continued to give him a quizzical glare. "You're right. I don't give a shit." She made no effort to stand up.

The boy smirked cheekily. Damn, those cheek bones. "My name's Tori. Who are you?"

"They didn't tell you?" The boy shook his head again. This time his bangs landed sweeping the other way. Jade bit her lip and rested a hand on her stomach. "Tawny," Jade lied, giving the new boy instead the name of the protagonist of her favourite movie.

Tori accepted that, regardless of knowing the truth and reached out a hand for the girl to shake. "Nice to meet you."

Jade reached out without completely thinking the action through and shook the boy's hand. When she pulled away, the boy looked down at his hand concerned. "What, I'm not a leper," Jade snapped at his reaction.

Tori shook his head again, once again swishing his bangs. "No, there's blood on your hand." Jade could see the boy put the pieces together. The scissors, her hand on her stomach. God dammit, Jade, you ruined it! Now he knows; someone knows. No one is supposed to know! Jade's lip began to tremble before she could stop it. "It's okay," Tori reached out and rubbed her shoulder. Jade was becoming more of a mess by the second. "I won't ask any questions. Let me just get some paper towels, and I'll see if I have a sweat shirt in my locker."

With that the boy got up and left - not without taking Jade's scissors first. He was helping her? No way. He was probably going to blackmail her. No one could be that nice, especially to her! He was probably just like Beck; that what all the boys were like! They pretended to care, but as soon as she let them in they wanted her clothes off.

The boy came back. "The sweatshirt doesn't really go with your highlights, but at least it doesn't have a mixture of coffee and blood in it." Tori handed her the sweatshirt and some napkins. "I'll be right outside the door. You just get cleaned up and let me know when you're ready. I'll tell Sikowitz I didn't find you if you don't want to go to class." He was gone again. Goddammit, he did not have permission to be so nice to her.

Hello again. I hope you like it so far. Here's their official interaction. Is it me, or is Jade starting to like Toren? Hmmmm. Haha!

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Follow me on wattpad: franklymadear


	3. Chapter 3: JK

Tori sighed to herself as she waited outside. She couldn't believe it; Jade was a cutter. People feared her; she seemed so strong? Maybe that was part of it. No one was there for her because they feared her. Tori used to cut too, but it was kind of the opposite. She was scared of people - scared of them finding out. What would people say if they found out she liked girls? The boys would give her such hell, and the girls would avoid her at all costs. That's what she thought. Of course, her family couldn't know either - her mom told her all these wonderful things that would happen when Tori made her a grandmother. When Tori brought home a nice son in law. How wonderful the wedding would be. How she just wanted Tori to be happy…  
Meanwhile, Tori had been hurting herself in ways that didn't make sense. She hated herself; everyone thought a lie about her, and they had accepted that lie. They would hate the truth; Tori hated the truth. It took a slip up to her sister to set her free. Trina had asked her if she wanted help getting a boyfriend, throwing out names and faces, and Tori just instinctively said, "Stop it, Trina. I don't like boys." That was that. The truth was out, and no one hated her for it. Now she didn't hurt herself, but she could still remember how much it hurt being in that place, how much she wanted someone to know just to confirm it. If what she believed of them was confirmed to be true, she could go ahead with it. She could end it. She just hoped that this act of kindness would at least make Jade consider not ending it.  
Interrupting her thoughts, Jade stepped out of the closet in the yellow sweat shirt. "Hey, yellow actually works with your pink hair." Tori could tell Jade was forcing back a smile. "I won't tell anyone," Tori added quickly.  
"If?" The brunette girl arched a pierced eyebrow.  
Tori shook her hair and ran a fist through it. "No conditions. No if's or but's. Well, one if." Jade glared, expecting the worse. "If you feel like doing it again, you can always talk to me about it. I used to do it too."  
Jade didn't say anything but looked shocked, confused. This boy could not genuinely be nice to her. No one was ever nice to her. The two walked back to class in silence.

"So nice of you two to join us. Since you two are already standing, how would you two like to do an alphabet improv?"  
Jade growled and trudged up to the stage. "Tori, alphabet improv is where you must have a dialogue where each of your phrases start with each letter of the alphabet. Understand?"  
"N-"  
"Great! Up on stage!" Sikowitz pushed Tori up on stage with Jade who was giving her a suspicious look. "Alright, you two! We're starting with the letter A! Let's go!"  
Jade folded her arms across her chest. "Are you for real?"  
Tori stumbled a little at first, "But, what are you talking about?"  
"Cut the crap. I know you aren't who you say you are," Jade accused.  
Tori's eyes widened, for a completely different reason. "Do you mind being more specific?" she asked with fear.  
Jade glared right into the boys eyes. "Everyone's the same. You're not different. You don't care; you're just pretending."  
Tori countered, "For you to say that is funny. Is your name really Tawny?"  
"Guess you're smarter than I took you for, but you can't even begin to think that you know me."  
"Hey, I'll admit that. I don't know you, but hopefully I will." Cat awwed from the audience.  
Jade didn't physically look away, but her eyes looked away from Tori's. "I don't think we will."  
Tori suddenly felt brave and stepped towards the girl. "Just look at me. I'm not pretending, and I'm not going to hurt you. Just trust someone for once." Tori had held Jade's glance by tipping up her chin; the girl couldn't look away.  
The next letter was K, and Jade's mind was racing for possibilities. Kick? Knit? Kleptomania? No context. Kiss? Yes, kiss my ass, to fuel the fire, to keep up the argument. It was perfect! Jade prepared herself to say it, eyes still locked with Tori's. "Kiss me!" she delivered with a furious tone.  
Tori raised a confused eyebrow and bit her lip. "Like, right now?"  
Jade looked so proud of herself, unaware of her slip up. "Make it quick."  
Tori shrugged, but on the inside her heart was racing. Jade was the strangest girl and the first one she had met at Hollywood Arts. Was Tori really passing as a boy enough to get her attention? Or was this just acting? It didn't matter. "Not like I have a choice," Tori conceded and leaned in.

_Dun dun dun! Jade, didnt you tell him not to touch you? Way to be bipolar then. What'll happen? the world may never know! Dun dun! Please review if you liked it, and I'm sorry if I have some grammar or spelling errors because I don't have a beta but whatevs. I don't think I would really use one. I updated earlier than I thought I would. I think I'll update Wednesdays and Saturdays. Coolio? Cool._


	4. Chapter 4: Date? Hate?

Jade's eyes widened when Tori leaned in. She had said kiss me. Why had she screwed up so royally? She had just met him. He was probably just playing her like Beck. Their lips touched. He had said to trust him, and she had said to kiss her. And now they were kissing. He had obeyed her command. He had questioned it, and she had confirmed it. As her eyes unintentionally fluttered closed, she reconsidered. Maybe he wasn't going to hurt her, she decided as her arms wrapped around him. He held onto her as well and didn't even try to push her boundaries. He was gentle even as he pulled away.

"Outside, 3 o clock." She demanded of him.

He nodded and confirmed, "Parking lot?"

She nodded as well then pushed him away. "Quit touching me."

"AND SCENE!" Sikowitz shouted from the class. The pair jumped apart from each other. "Congratulations, Tori. I think you'll make a great addition to this school."

Jade ran out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang and made her way to her next class, scriptwriting. Maybe writing was just what she needed; it always helped her before. Of course, she had forgotten that Beck was in that class. Her stomach dropped as she sat at her desk beside him. He didn't say anything, and she almost wished he had. It was awful; three years of friendship and he didn't want to even look at her if she wouldn't put out. It made her furious, but it hurt as well.

She took to writing her script. Of course it was a dark story line. A girl she modeled after herself as the protagonist was lost wandering in the dark woods. _No one will help me, no one will save me_, the little girl thinks. Suddenly she approaches a gravestone which says "_HELP_." Beside it is a shovel set up nicely beside her. Maybe he will help me, the little girl says as she grabs the shovel and begins to dig. She opens the coffin that is under the dirt and out comes a man. The man is in ragged clothing, but his hair is long and dark and his smile is deceptively sweet. "_Little girl let me help you out of these woods_," he says with a raspy voice.

The little girl follows at first as he leads the way. Then he grabs her hand and tugs her along. Then he picks her up and carries her along. Meanwhile he is telling her it will be okay and that he loves her. He plays with her hair before throwing her down into another grave. He buries her alive. The little girl cries as she tries to break free, but she is running out of air. _Help! Help_! She tries to scream, but no one hears. _Save me_! she begs to the universe. Suddenly she hears a rustling from above and suddenly another man is above her and reaching out to save her. "_Little girl, little girl. Are you okay?_" The man asks as she sits up. The gravestone she was buried by reads "_SAVE_." She tries to run away from the strange man but she can not move. The strange man keeps saying it is okay and to trust him. Suddenly the girl is out of the woods and there is light now. The strange man saved her.

_xxx_

Tori left Sikowitz' room with Andre who walked her to her orchestra class where she would have to learn to play an instrument. "Oh my god, Tori. What did you do? What did you say? It's your first day here, and you've already got hot girls all over you. You were not supposed to get all these girls as a boy.

Tori laughed then whispered in her normal voice, "I definitely did not get to make out with girls I just met when I was a girl. This boy thing is really working out."

Andre elbowed her shoulder. "So, are you going to meet Jade in the parking lot this afternoon?"

"Yeah. I think I might tell her the truth," Tori began. Andre stopped in his tracks and shook his head viciously. "What?"

Andre laughed in a scared way. "No way, dude. Jade would tear you limb from limb. Besides, you already kissed her in front of everybody. You can't just drop this act now."

Tori sighed. He was right; Toren had already made an impression. He couldn't just leave after the first day. "But I told her she could trust me."

Andre sighed. "Well, has she asked you what gender you are?" Tori shook her head. "Then you haven't lied to her." Somehow that did not calm Tori's nerves.

xxx

It was three o' five Jade noted as she looked at her clock for the fifteenth time that minute. Why was she so hung up on this? Why did she care if this guy she only just met stood her up or not. It shouldn't matter; it doesn't matter. Jade didn't care if he stood her up. "Hey," a voice called to her.

There was Tori, kind smile on his face, bangs flopping as he walked. Jade's heart began to race. Okay, maybe she did care a little bit. Tori stood in front of her, "So what's up?" he asked curiously.

Jade had planned an entire monologue, but suddenly that all escaped her brain. She sighed in frustration before leaning against her car behind her. "Do you want to get some coffee?"

Tori's kind smile crinkled at this. "Love to. When?"

"Right now," Jade replied without a blink.

Tori glanced over to the side where Jade saw Andre waiting and shrugged. "Okay. You drive; I pay?" Jade bit her lip and looked away to hide her blush. All she did was get in the car. Tori entered and looked around at the car. "Nice skull," Tori commented with a chuckle, giving the mirror accessory a push.

Jade suddenly felt the subconscious need to defend herself, as if she was suddenly embarrassed of her quirks. "Name's Yorick," she admitted.

Tori cleared his throat then held the skull with his hands. "Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him Horatio!" Jade's heart fluttered. Even at an arts school it was hard to find someone who truly appreciated a good Shakespeare reference. Everyone was so caught up in creating their own art that they forgot to take the time to appreciate the classics.

Jade started the car. "Hamlet's my favourite."

"Mine too," Tori responded, "that or Macbeth."

Jade coughed and focused for a while on driving; Tori didn't seem to mind the silence. He was perfectly content looking out the window and tapping his fingers. When Jade got on the road she asked, "So have you lived in Hollywood for long or did you move here for the arts?"

Tori looked away from the window and focused on the profile of Jade's face. "I was born here, but I just discovered my love for art. Hollywood Arts has been awesome so far." Jade swallowed a lump in her throat. "What kind of coffee do you like?"

Tori ran a fist through his hair, pushing his bangs out of his face. "I don't even drink much coffee, but you offered. I thought I would take you up on it to get to know the girl that wanted me to kiss her in front of the whole class."

Jade laughed at that, and it was okay that she laughed. Tori wanted to hang out with her after her crazy. Maybe she could trust him.

xxx

_Hey-o. I might be switching up Tori's gender every now and then, fair warning. I hope it doesn't get too confusing. He will usually be used when I'm narrating for Jade, and she for Tori. Make sense? Welp. Hope you like! Sorry it's a little late in the day. Love you guys! I would love reviews, but whatever!_

_Follow me on tumblr: i-o-u-a-bad-wolf :3_


	5. Chapter 5: Runaway

If Tori could say anything for sure it was that Jade's laugh was absolutely beautiful. They pulled into the café, and the atmosphere was bustling. The pair waited and line and asked Tori what he wanted. "I don't know," Tori shrugged, "I've never actually had coffee before."

Jade's jaw dropped five feet to the ground. She spluttered with her words, "No way. Okay, then you've gotta start with what I started on." Jade stepped up to the counter. "One medium black coffee and one small vanilla latte for Jade." Tori took out a ten bill from his wallet. Jade took it and gave it to the cashier before retrieving the change. She dragged Tori by his shirt collar to the other end of the counter where they sat and waited for their drinks. Jade was fidgeting.

Tori chuckled as masculinely as she could manage. "Someone's antsy."

Jade's blush made Tori almost swoon. "Sorry, but it's your first coffee! This is groundbreaking." Tori began making a list of things Jade liked. So far it listed: Coffee and Hamlet.

_xxx_

Jade studied Tori as he sipped his coffee. His hair mussy from having run his fingers through it, his little finger habitually raised as he sipped, his furrowed brow as the aftertaste of coffee hit. Everything about the boy was adorable. "What are you staring at?" Drats! She had been busted.

Instead of blushing Jade played it cool. "You. I was wondering how you got to look so cute."

Tori's eyebrows shot up in amusement, and he ran his fingers through his hair again. "Well, it does take me about fifteen minutes to get my face on in the morning."

Jade scoffed, "Oh shut up!" She went in to punch his shoulder gently, but he grabbed her wrist before it made contact.

Tori leaned forward and with a grin said, "Don't you ever touch me." Jade's face turned even redder than Cat's hair. She had said that to steer him away, but now they're here, just a few hours later. Tori let go of Jade's wrist, and she suddenly felt absent. "So how did you get into Hollywood Arts?" Tori asked with curiosity.

Jade tried not to shudder, the memory had a way of haunting her. It was the midst of her mother's and father's divorce. Her father hated art, so the best way for her mother to get back at him was to sign Jade up for arts school and make him pay for it with child support. It had nothing to do with Jade actually wanting to be a performer. It had nothing to do with Jade at all. "I sang," she settled on, avoiding Tori's concerned look.

It was dumb, in the past. She was only thirteen. Jade didn't even care about it anymore. Right? She only just met Tori; she couldn't tell him everything. Tori gave a sympathetic smile, understanding that she didn't care to talk about it. "I sang too."

_xxx_

Tori looked quizzically at the girl in front of her. They had met only a few hours ago, and she was already playing the hot and cold game. Her body language always hinted that what she said had a deeper meaning, but no explanations ever followed her suggestions. The only time she had ever been straight forward seemed to be when she asked for a kiss in class. She guessed that was okay. If that was their one honest moment then at least it meant that Jade honestly liked her… or him. Perhaps it was best that Jade didn't trust Tori because the disguise probably wouldn't last forever.

Tori choked on a sip of coffee this time, but not because of the bitter aftertaste. It was because of what she was doing. Tori liked Jade, and she didn't want to betray her. This right here, even if it was quiet and secretive, was a date. Jade was actually considering Toren as an option. That made Tori's heart soar and fall simultaneously. She wanted to be with Jade, but Jade wanted to be with him. Tori looked up to see Jade trying to hide a smirk that appeared when Tori choked. Tori's face unintentionally flushed, and it was probably visible even through the make up.

Why did Tori agree to do this? This was such an awful idea. Andre was so stupid, and Tori was even more stupid for agreeing. Tori liked Jade, but what if Andre was right about her? Jade had a dark side, so what if Tori unleashed it? What if revealing herself would cause Jade to attack. Or worse yet, what if Tori's true identity send her down a darker path where she trusted others even less… and hurt herself even more. "Are you okay?" Tori was startled from her thoughts by Jade's questioning voice. Tori looked up and expectedly saw Jade's eyebrow ring glistening on her arched eyebrow.

Tori cleared her throat and established her man-voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. This stuff is really bitter."

The pale girl across from her gave a sly smile. "You have no idea. Try mine."

Tori took the cup and noticed the faint lipstick stain on the lid. Light pink, a contrast to the rest of her physical appearance. Tori took a hesitant sip and almost threw up at the contact it had on her tongue. Jade burst into laughter. "Haha, very funny," Tori rolled his eyes and handed the cup back to Jade.

Jade took it with grace before leaning her head back and chugging the remainder of her beverage. "You're not much of a coffee person, huh Tori?" Tori's eyes were wide with either fear or amazement. "Come on," Jade stood with a hand gesture, "you have to go home."

_xxx_

Jade dropped the boy off at his cushy Hollywood Hills house and began driving back to her mother's house. Or her father's house. She didn't know where to go. That had been a problem recently; she never wanted to go home but didn't have anywhere else to go. She used to go to Beck's RV and just escape, but he would just want to make out. That was better than facing her father's disapproving gaze or her mother's drunken wrath. With such limited options she finally decided to go to her father's house.

Why did she push Tori away like that after they had coffee? It was still early, not even five o' clock, and yet Jade needed to get him out of her sight. Maybe she didn't like him as much as she thought she had, but she really did like him. Maybe she liked him too much, and no way would Jade let herself fall for another guy. All they wanted was her body, and dammit she had given Tori the wrong impression. That's all that it was! Tori thought that because she had mistakenly said 'kiss me' that meant that she wanted him in sexual ways, and that's why Tori agreed to get coffee with her. Tori was just like the others; he just wanted her body! And stupid stupid Jade, she had led him on. She had led him on in front of her class, and he would tell everyone she was a big fat tease because of her stupid slip of the tongue.

"Dad, I'm home," she called out to what was probably an empty house. Her dad was always at work, and her mom had taken all the furniture. His house was pretty empty excluding a desk some chairs and things. Jade went down to her cellar bedroom and twisted all three of the locks. Her dad could never look at her like she was a disappointment down there. Jade sat at her computer and started writing, this time a short story.

_There was a child rocking in her grandfather's lap as her grandfather reads her a story. The story is about a prince and a princess, and they live happily ever after. At the end of the story the little girl asks Did that all really happen? and her grandfather chuckles and pats her on the head. "It sure did," he says with a crooked smile. The little girl marches into another room to tell her father of her new knowledge about the world. And they lived happily ever after, she finished. Her father gives her another crooked grin. "You're a princess too, you know." She is startled by this revelation but goes on her merry way. There's a boy who says he is a prince, and the little girl who is a princess knows how this is going to end. He is the prince, and she is the princess. This was what happily ever after was. He brought her flowers and kneeled and said "Will you marry me?" The little girl nods and hops on his horse to happily ever after.  
Suddenly things change. The prince takes her flowers away and bucks her off the horse. The little girl flies off the horse, and her tiara shatters on the ground. Suddenly she is not a princess but a very old woman. A frog hops up to her and says, "Old woman, if you kiss me I can make you a princess again." The old woman kisses the frog, suspicious but trusting, and finds that she not only isn't a princess, but she is even older than before. The frog looks down at her, now in a young prince's body. "Haha," says the frog prince, "I have kissed a once princess and now I'm a prince. I took your royalty and your life force too." The prince hops away as things turn to black._

_xxx_

The first thing Tori did upon walking into her home was scrub the annoying boy make-up off her face. Blegh, that bronzer tasted worse than the coffee, and those side burns were itchy. She hated being a boy. Well, that was too harsh. She liked being with Jade, being considered by Jade. If she was a girl that day, none of the good parts of that day would have happened. Perhaps she wouldn't have even noticed Jade. "Well, welcome back Miss Late."

Tori looked over from the sink to see her mother with a dark scowl on her face. "Come on, mum, it's only 5," Tori sighed. Stupid strict mother. Apparently it wasn't okay for Tori to go out after school, but her older sister could do whatever.

"You said Andre would take you home," her mother disciplined.

Tori finished drying her face and began combing through her hair. "Well, I made a friend. She wanted to hang out."

"She?" her mother questioned. Even if her mother didn't care that she was gay, she still thought Tori was way too young to be dating anybody.

Tori groaned, "Ugh, not like that." At least not yet. She hoped it was like that.

Her mother crossed her arms and gave a defeated huff, realising this interrogation was getting nowhere. "Fine, but don't let it happen again."

"Whatever," Tori deadpanned before locking herself in her room.

A phone call from Andre distracted her before she got too upset. "Yello?" Tori answered.

Andre's voice was hushed which made Tori think he was at his Grandma's. "Hey, girl. How was your date with Jade?"

"It wasn't a date," but even as she said that she felt herself blushing. "Okay, maybe it was."

Andre gave a whistle, "Ooh, you are on your game today." Tori chuckled at his amazement. "So give me the deets. Did you guys make like bunnies or what?"

Tori sighed, "No you doofus. I don't really have the thing that I need to bunny it up. We got coffee; it was gross but fun. She didn't say much, but she asked a bunch of questions. Then she just took me home without any warning." Andre was silent. Tori laughed at his inability to function, "What? Not juicy enough? Did you want me to tell you all of the secrets we shared or the Disney duet that we sang as I saved her life from an evil dragon? It's not a fairytale, dude. I just met her."

The boy on the other end sighed in disapproval. "I just expected it to be a little hardcore. That seems so… normal. Not really… Jade-ish."

Tori rolled her eyes and sarcastically asked, "Did you think we went to the graveyard and did satanic rituals to raise the dead or something? The only dark thing was the skull she has hanging from the mirror of her car."

"Is it real?"

"It's a Hamlet reference."

"But is it real?" He emphasized the real this time.

Tori sighed, "I dunno. I'll ask her tomorrow or something." There was a pause. "So how was your day?'

"About as interesting as your date sounded."

_xxx_

_Hey you guys! I just want to say thank you so super super much for all the reviews! my inbox overflows every time I update, and all of the reviews have been positive. You guys are so awesome, and I hope you all keep reading. It always makes me smile when I see your familiar usernames in my email. Thanks a ton!_

_Anyways, I wonder why Jade is so scared of Tori. Weren't they having such a good time? Haha. Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think might happen hmmm._


	6. Chapter 6: Suffocating

Jade growled as her alarm went off. She kept meaning to change it, but she had never gotten around to it. Her alarm was a recording that Beck had made for her saying "Babe, get up" in a sweet voice. She used to smile when she woke to it, stretching like in a cheesy romance movie where the girl gets the guy. Now the alarm pierces her ears and makes her scramble with rage and anguish to turn it off as quickly as possible. She really needed to change her alarm. Maybe to something loud and obnoxious to express how she feels on the inside. "Wow, that's poetic," she mumbled to herself before going to her bathroom and getting ready.

Her normal routine consisted of picking out something dark but flattering to her body type. She loved clothes that hugged her curves and showed off the feminine build she possessed. Then she would curl her naturally straight hair and insert her colour extensions. She had lately been choosing green or dark blue, but today she decided to be crazy and not wear any extensions. She applied her eye make up and her light pink lipstick.

She smiled at her appearance. If everything else about her was repelling, her physical appearance was stunning. Wait, Tori was going to be at the school today. She tugged at the short skirt that gave a good view of her legs and replaced them with black skinny jeans. The tight tank top hugging her breasts was quickly covered by a grey sweater. There, no false impressions could be taken from her exterior appearance. She slung her Gears of War sack over her shoulder and walked as stealthily as she could to the garage. "Jade?"

Crap, her father had caught her. She backtracked to hear what she already knew her father was going to say. "Yes?" she threw out with malice.

Her father raised a dark eyebrow with a frown. In return, Jade scowled and raised the pierced eyebrow she knew he hated. "When did you come in?" he asked, trying to ignore the obvious provocation.

"Last night. Bye." With that Jade made a break for the door and unlocked her car door. She knew her father wouldn't come after her. Now for another day at school where everybody thought she was a horrible monster.

_xxx_

Tori woke up thirty minutes earlier than she had all of last year. This year she was wearing a bit more make up. She mixed the bronzer and foundation as her routine suggested and covered her face evenly. She mussed the creases in her dark hair and spread her bangs according to her natural part. She rubbed the musk cologne on her chest and arms and searched through her drawer for the spirit gum to apply her sideburns. Today she decided to attach some stubble on her chin just for fun. And don't guys grow facial hair really quickly?

When that was done she stuffed her A-cup breasts in a binder that Andre had helped her buy (since it was his terrible idea anyway) and threw a loose shirt over her head. Completing the look was a pair of baggy jeans with a tear in the pockets. All this was done before anyone in the house had even woken up.

She walked down the stairs in her boy get-up and grabbed a bagel from the pantry, plain. Outside she heard a car door honk; Andre had arrived to take her to school. "What's up, Tor?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm going for a new look," she smiled and indicated her newly applied stubble.

Her friend rolled his eyes. "You really are getting better at this. You're looking boy-ier by the day." At this Tori rolled her eyes.

_xxx_

Jade shut her locker door and ran her fingers across some of the scissors. "Hey," a low voice said from behind her. She gulped as silently as she could muster; Jade knew that voice anywhere.

She turned around to see Beck right behind her. "Hey," she said monotonously. Jade almost reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, almost leaned in and kissed him… but she refused. Jade had sworn to never let him in again after what he did to her.

"Can we talk?" he asked softly, glancing around. Of course she knew he meant in private where none of the gossips of the school could watch. Instead she stubbornly crossed her arms and leaned against her locker, loving the bumpy texture of the scissors on her back. "Oh come on, Jade."

"No, you want to talk. Let's talk." She nearly spat the last word. From behind Beck she saw Tori walk by with Andre. This further fueled her anger. "You used me," she began with an accusatory tone, "for three years. You pretended to like me, and when I said no to one of the many things you pressured me into you left me. I compromised myself for so many things because I thought…" she suddenly stopped and looked away. "I thought I loved you, and… and you didn't love me."

"I do love you!" Beck insisted, grabbing her wrist.

She yanked her hand away, slamming it back against the locker. She hissed in pain before responding, "No. If you did love me, you would have been happy to wait for me, wait until I was ready. You didn't though, and you chose to leave me." There was a moment of silence as they battled with their eyes. "I don't know what else you want to talk about."

Beck stayed silent, so Jade took her leave and walked towards Sikowitz's class. Inside was Tori and Andre. Shit, what if he tried to talk to her? Could she just ignore Tori after what happened yesterday? Of course she could; why did she even care what Tori thought anyway if she was going to be ignoring him? It was decided; Jade would ignore the new boy. She set herself on the complete opposite side of the room, and set her bag on the seat beside her to lure away any daring losers that might want to sit by her.

"Hey, Jade!" Oh no, that voice. She knew it from yesterday. It was the voice she was ignoring. She pretended not to hear. Tori didn't take the hint and set her bag on the ground to sit beside her. "I really liked hanging out yesterday, but I don't feel like I learned anything about you." Jade still said nothing. Tori tapped her chin with his soft fingers, forcing her to look up. "You okay?"

Jade snapped her face away and growled, "Don't touch me."

From the corner of her eyes, Jade saw Tori figure something out. In a soft voice he asked, "Does this have something to do with sex?" Jade could feel herself visibly cringe. Stupid Beck and his stupid wandering hands always violating her even as she pushed him away, always insisting that everything was okay when it wasn't. "You just keep saying not to touch you, but… I don't want to have sex with you. Not that you're unattractive or whatever, but I don't want to have sex anytime soon. I don't want you to think that I like you just because I want to get with you. I've had girls do that with me, and that absolutely sucks. I don't want you to feel pressured or anything, and if you just want to be friends that's cool too. I just don't want you to avoid me cuz you think that as a guy all I want is sex. Believe me, I'm far too insecure about my body to try to force it on someone so beautiful."

Jade looked up on her own this time and then away again. "You just want to be friends?"

Tori ran a nervous hand through his hair and chuckled. "Well, eventually I'd like to be… more than friends. Of course, that's up to you." Jade felt her face turn scarlet and bit her lip to avoid some girly Cat-like reaction.

"Okay," she said smoothly, "take me out. You have a chance, but you have to do it properly." Tori gave her a confident smile. He must not be new to this, Jade thought with a bit of worry. Saved by the bell, Sikowitz entered walking on his hands shouting something about how an entrance defines a character.

_xxx_

Jade sat in her scriptwriting class in a seat farther from Beck, forcing Sinjin out of his chair even. It would be okay; she could handle Sinjin, she didn't think she could handle Beck after their confrontation that morning. What to write today? She liked the premise of the story she had written the other day, but it needed to be longer in order to be performed. Jade worked on some soliloquies for her main character.

"_How did I get here? I was playing in my yard and now I am here. Where am I; will I ever see my family again? My father will be cross if I am late for dinner. What if I can't find my way back to the house ever again. My father would be very cross then. Won't someone please help me_!" A pause as she falls to the ground in dismay. "_No one will help me. These woods are nowhere near my yard; something brought me here for a reason, and they won't let me out for just anything._" She looks around her surroundings and finds to her left a gravestone with a shovel propped against it. The gravestone reads HELP! "_Help? Just like I asked for. Maybe if I help to free him from the ground he'll help me out of these woods._"

She digs thoroughly, grunting to show her hard work. From a trap door a spirit arises. His clothes are torn and his face looks deformed. "_Little girl, you have let me out of this coffin. I have been down for so long. I am forever in your debt._"

"_You are very welcome strange man. All I ask in return is that you may help me find my way out of these woods._"

"_I can do more than that_" he says, grabbing the shovel and walking ahead of her. "_Are you scared little girl? Hold my hand so I can comfort you._" They keep walking. "_You seem so cold. Wrap your arms around my waist._" They keep walking. "Y_ou must be so tired walking so much. Let me carry you._" He picks her up with grace and ease and she begins to shiver as his arms caress her warm skin.

"_Please stop that_," she begs, and he stops walking.

"_Okay,_" he says dropping her to the ground. When she looks up she notices that she is not on the ground but instead in a hole. He buries her.

"_Help me! Help me! I can't get home under this dirt. Oh, I knew that no one would help me. I trusted the strange man even when I wasn't scared or cold or tired. When I said no he dumped me in this ditch. Now that I'm buried no one will ever find me. That's what I get for trusting a stranger._" She begins to cry. "_I don't believe in miracles, but all I wish is for someone to save me._"

Suddenly she emerges from the trapdoor; someone had dug her out. "_Little girl, are you okay? I heard you shouting and wanted to help_."

Maybe there should be a twist ending, Jade thought as she scribbled out her previous notes. This new savior can't possibly be as brilliant as the little girl thinks he is. After all, he is just a stranger like the helper before him. Jade looked up and over at Beck who was typing on his computer, his eyebrow furrowed in concentration, his teeth grazing against his dry lower lip, his perfect hair so naturally wind blown. No, perfect strangers are not heroes. They are the villains, the faces you remember because they scar you.

The little girl screamed as she emerged from the hole. She stood and ran as far away from the new stranger as fast as she could. Finally, the little girl emerged from the woods. "_I made it; I'm out. I found my way all by myself - certainly without the help of those strangers. I didn't need someone to save me after all. That's why I was brought there, to learn to fend for myself. No one saved me because I can take care of myself._" With a determined smile, the lights fade to black, and the stage clears.

_xxx_

_Hey, guys! I've tried to give a little insight into Jade's inner monologue. I mean, Tori can't be the perfect boy... or maybe not even a boy at all huh? She still doesn't trust him just yet, but hey, at least she's letting him ask her out. That's something? We'll probably get to that Saturday. Til then, I hope you like what I've given you already. I just want to say thank you all so much for the reviews and the support. I've gotten over 200 emails alerting me about people supporting me because of this story. Thanks so much for reading, and I love you all! I'd love to know what you think! Byeeeee_


	7. Chapter 7: Impress Me

Tori struggles in her math class, writing scribbly notes about functions and limits and derivatives and something related to calculus. She struggled not with understanding the concepts, but with concentrating on the class itself. Math bored Tori; she understood it too well. Tori always had to be good at math and schoolwork. Trina always did dance recitals and had choir practice; so Tori had to find something that would take her out of her shadow. Of course, Tori admired Trina's artistry (even if her singing wasn't as grand as the older Vega thought) but at the same time felt envious. Trina had stolen a talent, and Tori couldn't use it whether she had it or not. Thus, Tori excelled in schoolwork.

Whilst Trina was performing in local children's dental commercials, Tori was winning regional youth science fairs. Trina had five solos in her various dance recitals; Tori had five medals in various spelling competitions. Math only proceeded to be a part of the talent she had in school. No one congratulated Trina for her good grades.

Now, Tori was at an arts school, and people thought she was good at art, the talent that Trina had stolen. These amazing things were happening all around her, and she was still bored in math class. She wasn't bored at the school though; the people were so amazing. Andre of course was her best friend, and the most talented person she knew. Cat Valentine and Robbie Shapiro were a bit weird, but they were such good actors that sometimes it was hard to tell when they weren't acting. They were even doing technical work on shows.

Then there was Jade. Tori didn't know what to make of Jade West, but thinking about her made a small smirk appear on her face. Jade thought she had everyone fooled, but that tough and scary girl the rest of the school saw was just an act. Jade thought she was letting Tori ask her out by saying she… he had a chance, but really she was already admitting to liking her… him. There was the problem.

Tori could not ask Jade out; the last thing Tori wanted was to trick the girl. Jade liked Toren, and there was no way that it would pass well with her if her boyfriend suddenly became her girlfriend. However, if Tori told Jade now before she got to know her, Jade wouldn't blink an eye and would toss Tori in the trash without hesitation. If Tori got to know Jade, and Jade instead liked her personality as well as the boyish body, maybe they could be friends after the whole ordeal. It's harder to abandon someone you know rather than a perfect stranger, right?

Tori wouldn't take it too hard. She already said she didn't want sex, and Jade didn't seem too into the touchy feely romance. A few kisses every now and then weren't necessarily out of hand. Jade wouldn't lose anything sacred from being with Tori.  
Okay, so Tori was going to ask Jade out. How though? It was clear from the "chance" that she liked Tori, but Jade was far from an ordinary girl. She would want something outstanding, not just flowers and chocolates.

_xxx_

Jade groaned as she saw Sinjin and his dorky friend sitting at her typical lunch table. "Oh hello, Jade," the boy said suavely. He probably saw some sort of sexual meaning behind her stealing his seat in class.

The goth girl sighed and slowly began counting down from five. By three the boys were gone, leaving her table alone. "Hey, Jade!" Not for long apparently, she thought as Tori approached with a nervous looking Andre behind him. "Mind if we sit here?"

Jade gave a curt nod and examined the boys. Tori sat closer to her than Andre, and Andre was on alert as if ready to flee any second. "What's his deal?" Jade mentioned to Tori, pointing a sharp finger at the other boy.

Tori chuckled and looked at his friend. "He seems to think you've hexed me and that's why I've been hanging out with you." Tori was teasing her, and something about that made her blush. "I told him that there were no such things as witches, and that even if there were, witches would have to give up their power to take the form of such a beautiful woman."

Jade raised a pierced eyebrow at the flirting boy, his friend out of mind for a minute. "Oh, that's where you're wrong. Witchcraft 101: we possess souls of beautiful women; we don't transform into them. Somewhere out there, there's a helpless old lady with the soul of a teenage girl. You better watch out."

Tori gave a toothy grin. "I think I'll take my chances."

Andre cleared his throat to alert the two that he was still there. "So Jade, you working on any plays to put on?"

"I think I've got a little one act show in the works," Jade said, facing Andre but not taking her eyes off Tori. "You looking to compose?"

Andre nodded and swallowed a bite of burrito. "Yup. I could use the practice with composing some creepy stuff." Jade rolled her eyes.

Tori looked at Andre then, breaking eye contact with Jade. "You just assume it's going to be creepy?" Andre grinned and gave a look at Jade. Tori then looked to Jade. "Is it?"

The goth girl shrugged. "A little girl gets lost in the woods and is buried alive." Tori sighed in defeat. The other two laughed.

_xxx_

It was the end of the day, and Tori still hadn't tried anything to impress Jade, or so the girl thought. As she walked to her locker she noticed the scissors were out of order. They were magnetic, so people could move them. No one ever tried though. The scissors spelt out "open me."

When she opened the locker, a mix of bagged coffee grounds of all sorts, papers that she would later find were calligraphy Shakespeare quotes, and various trinkets that she recognized as being associated with witchcraft including the classic pointed hat and broom. Taped to the back of the locker was a note in scribbly handwriting. It read:

"_Surprise! I'm burying you alive in things you like that I've only realized from the time I've known you so far. If you're reading this, I take it that you're interested in the second part of my surprise. You're going on a scavenger hunt. Somewhere in this school you can find all of these items in some way shape or form. The answer is not your locker. If you're interested in getting your schoolbooks back, you'll have to find me there. That's your hint. Enjoy your gifts.  
-Tor_i"

Jade growled and crumbled up the note. Tori had impressed her; he wasn't supposed to do that. How was she was supposed to know that he'd actually ask her out. I mean, she had practically told him that sex was out of the question, and by the way Tori kept saying she was beautiful he obviously wanted sex. He couldn't just appreciate her beauty; boys were selfish. She sighed and picked her locker droppings off the floor and shoved them into her backpack. A smile crossed on her face as she read the Shakespeare quotes. They were either about love or death, and none of them were from Julius Caesar or Romeo and Juliet. Tori had some taste. Shakespeare, coffee, and witchcraft, where could she find them? She laughed, "sounds like an encyclopedia to my life." Wait, an encyclopedia.

Books! Tori was hiding in the library! Jade found herself running in that direction before she knew it. Hold on, Jade, she thought to herself. She couldn't be too eager to see him; that would give off the wrong impression. Jade just met Tori; he wasn't allowed to mean so much to her just yet. She had to keep him waiting a little bit. Jade slowed her pace and leisurely strolled to the library. The library was one of her favourite places in the school. It was three separate stories full of books on every subject.

On the second floor there were books on the history of gothic theatre and literature. She would bring up scripts from centuries ago to the third floor where students weren't allowed to talk to her and just read for hours when she didn't want to go to her parents' houses. Not that she'd necessarily be bothered there either, but the library did not have their empty presence like the house. Sometimes she'd check out the scripts and take them to the black box theatre where she would act them out and stage them and imagine all the theatrical aspects of it.

Jade walked into the library and breathed in the air of the books. Not enough of the Hollywood Arts students appreciated the beauty of this place. There were millions of different worlds surrounding her right now, and the students only used it to get their homework done. "Hello?" she called out, wandering through the aisles of the first floor.

She walked up to the librarian who smiled at her. "Hello, Jade. You here for something new?"

"Kind of," Jade answered, "did a Tori Vega come by here?"

The librarian gave her a wink. "He sure did. He left this note." She handed Jade a folded piece of paper.

Jade smiled and walked away before looking at the note. "_Look up. Your name._" At first Jade assumed maybe authors with the last name West and that that was what section Tori would be in, but there was a period in between the phrase. Look up. Jade looked up to see nothing out of the ordinary on the other floors. Your name. She turned in the direction of the West wing of the library. There leaning against the balcony of the second floor was Tori looking rather sly and proud of himself. She scoffed and made her way to the stairway. Jade walked up to the section of the library where Tori was. He was in the gothic literature section.

"Hey, Jade," Tori said with a proud grin on his scruffy looking face. "Took you long enough."

"Oh shut up," Jade went in to punch his arm, forgetting what had happened last time she tried that. Sure enough he grabbed her wrist and shook his head.

Instead of scolding her however, he grabbed her hand and brought her to an aisle where all of her favourite plays were located. Something was different though; the books were all out of order. "First letter," Tori said, still holding her hand. Jade didn't even mind as she put together the puzzle Tori had out before her. Clearly he had thought this plan through to the last detail, and Jade was admittedly impressed. Why did he care so much though? Tori had only just met Jade, and there was no way that her life had suddenly become a romantic comedy where they lived happily ever after. There had to be some sort of catch to this boy; he couldn't be perfect. Something had to be wrong with him… the books spelt out _"Will you go out with me?"_

It took all of Jade's willpower not to swoon and hug him on the spot. Instead Jade gave a cool smirk and faced the boy before her. "Okay, I'll admit it. You've impressed me, but you still haven't told me when or where."

Tori shook his head and led her out of that aisle to a table where her schoolbooks lay. "You just tell me where to pick you up and I'll see you there Friday at seven-thirty."

Jade bit her lip as she watched Tori scoop up her books. Weird. She could almost see an outline of what appeared to be a sports bra. Maybe he was wearing a tight undershirt; Beck used to do that. He would wear it under an unbuttoned plaid shirt and almost inevitably would spill something on the plaid so he could take it off and show off his muscles. Jade wasn't particularly impressed, but the other girls were. Jade took to always bringing a spare shirt and getting him straws for his drinks. He always teased her about being jealous, but he was definitely doing it on purpose.

"Hello? Earth to Jade?"

Jade blinked. "Oh, sorry, what. I totally spaced."

The new boy cocked an eyebrow. "Not that impressed then? Where do you want me to pick you up Friday?"

"Oh," Jade began then started to ponder. Seven-thirty, both parents were likely to be at their respective houses. Her mother would likely be too intoxicated to answer the door or ask any questions. She usually just complained about having a headache. "Pick me up at my mum's," she said, scribbling the address on his hand. Along with it she left her cell phone number. Tori look awed when he saw the numbers on his hand, so Jade smiled flirtatiously. "What should I wear?"

"Something nice," Tori responded, picking up her books and walking her down to her car.

_xxx_

_why hello, lovelies! I'm back again with another chapter. Thanks so much for the love and support. What do you want to happen on their date hmmm? Please review if you like it, and I'll try to respond to yours. Thanks a bundle! See you later!_


	8. Chapter 8: What Not to Wear

Tori waved goodbye as Jade drove off and ran over to Andre's waiting car. She jumped in and practically screamed her head off. "I take it she said yes?" Andre muttered whilst holding his ears.

Tori nodded and flung her arms around her friend. "Dude, she said yes! I'm going on an actual date!"

Andre fist bumped Tori. "Right on, girl! Where're you taking her?"

"Oh, I've got this great surprise planned."

_xxx_

Tori had to literally beg her sister to let her use the car. "Trina, can I pretty please use your car on Friday night?"

"No!" Trina shouted from the bathroom, styling her hair for bed.

Tori took a deep breath to avoid getting worked up. "Please Trina, it's really important to me."

"I don't want you driving my car. What is it anyway?" Her sister insisted stubbornly.

Still, Tori grinned from behind the door. Her sister was a hopeless romantic; Tori knew that just saying the word date would catch her attention. "I kind of have a date," Tori said loud enough for Trina to hear but in a tone that suggested she didn't want her sister to hear. At least that's what Tori was going for.

Sure enough, Trina unlocked the bathroom door and emerged into the hallway. "You have a date?"

"Yeah b-"

"With who?" Trina grabbed her sister and took Tori into her room. Rummaging through Tori's closet for something for the girl to wear, Trina called out, "Do I know her?"

Tori relaxed on her bed, already knowing that Trina would let her use the car. "I don't know; her name's Jade West." By the way Trina froze at the name Tori could tell that Trina had heard of her. "She's really cool.

Trina exited her little sister's closet and sat down on the bed beside her. "Okay, baby sister, I'm only saying this because I love you, but are you sure about this?"

Tori rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Yeah. I mean, I asked; she accepted."

Trina shook her head in concern. "No, Tori, I mean about the whole thing." Tori looked confused, so her sister sighed. "Before you came to Hollywood Arts, Jade was dating this really hot guy named Beck Oliver. Why she was lucky enough to get him, I'll never know… anyway, she and Beck were really serious. They would like make out in the hallways, and my friend Lindsey even heard them having sex in the janitor's closet one time-"

"Why are you telling me this?" Tori almost shouted.

Her older sister gave her a pitiful look. "Honey, you're a great girl, and you're really pretty. Just, think about it. Jade likes boys, and I know you think that maybe she likes you, but… Well, you're a rebound Tori. You were someone different to attach to that she doesn't have to have sex with after three years of what was probably the best sex of her life… I think she's using you Tori."

Tori blinked at what her sister had said. Okay, she knew Trina didn't know that Tori had portrayed herself as a boy to Jade, but could that other part be true. Was Jade using her? Jade certainly had been playing hard to get, and it didn't take long for them to become close to one another. They had known each other for like two days. Was Jade using her as a rebound?

_xxx_

Jade fiddled with her pencil as she and Cat tried to write a skit for their comedy acting class. "Jade, Jaaade?" Cat sang with a giggle, waving her hand in front of Jade's face. The goth girl blinked and looked down at her notebook then to Cat who was smiling almost too sweetly. "What were you thinking about?"

Jade shrugged it off and looked down. "It's nothing."

"Were you thinking about that new boy?" Cat guessed wisely. Jade's shocked face apparently gave away an answer because Cat followed her question with an "Mmm-hmm."

The goth girl sat up in her seat and crossed her arms. "I just don't trust him; that's all."

The redhead smiled dimly and nodded. "I think he likes you." Jade rolled her eyes and scoffed. "No really. He asked me for your locker combination today. He said he had a present for you."

"You gave him my locker combination?" Jade shouted irrationally.

Cat squeaked in fright and cowered away from her so-called best friend. "Sorry. I thought he was telling the truth."

"He asked me out," Jade stated matter-of-factly. There was no hint of distaste or approval in her tone; she was simply saying it like it was. Cat oo'ed in a teasing way, leaning in to hear the juicy details. "I don't know why. He's always so nice to me even when I try to push him away. How am I supposed to be mean to someone that's always nice to me?

Cat shrugged and stated simply, "Then don't be mean to him." The redhead was now balancing her pencil on her nose; Jade's monologue had bored her a bit.

The goth girl bit her lip. "But…" she trailed off before she could finish her sentence. But how could she stop him from hurting her?

_xxx_

Jade sneaked into her mother's house, hoping not to chance an encounter with her. She tip-toed through the dusty dining room that hadn't been used since Jade was seven and walked on the edge of the stairs to avoid any creeks. From the railing of the second floor Jade could see her mother passed out on the floor, surrounded by bottles of vodka. Jade sighed and made her way to her bedroom; she had other things to worry about. What would she wear on her date with Tori? Did she want him to see her looking her best? He said to wear something nice, but was that because of the outing or for his own enjoyment? Assuming Tori was only a pervert was a stretch, but Jade couldn't just accept him the way he was. Right now he was perfect and hadn't made any mistakes, but everyone else in the world disappointed her. What would make him any different? Jade couldn't accept that he was a good guy because good guys always broke her heart.

She sighed as she walked toward her closet. She skimmed through her dresses and saw a dark green sleeveless dress that stopped at her knee. It was what she wore to prom with Beck last year, but Tori hadn't seen her in it. Maybe he could associate the dress with some positive memories.

_Jade remembered that night quite vividly; she thought it would be nice. She remembered Cat coming over and curling her hair and pinning it to the side with a butterfly barrette. She remembered complaining to Cat that she hated butterflies, but when it was placed in her hair she decided it actually looked pretty decent. Beck arrived to pick her up while Cat was still getting herself ready, so the two left in the limo he had rented as a surprise._

_Beck had been full of surprises recently, and Jade had almost expected this night to be perfect. They cuddled in the back of the limo and talked about the night and where they were going to eat afterward and all the pictures Beck wanted to take of her because she just looked so beautiful._

_It slipped out like something she couldn't control. "I love you," she said out of nowhere. That had never happened before, but it was a special night. They had almost been dating for three years after all; it should be okay by now to say that. Besides, he had said that to her before, so she didn't need to worry about him not reciprocating her feelings._

_"I love you too," he said softly. He smiled at her and ran a hand through her hair. He leaned in to kiss her, and she let him. They pulled up at the school, and she was sure that the night would definitely be perfect._

_She stepped out of the limo and looked back at him with a teasing smirk. "Tonight better be perfect." It was a command, but he knew it was a question. It was the ultimate admittance of her trusting him. She felt so comfortable with him that something as trivial as a cliche school dance could be perfect for her as long as she was with him._

_He grabbed her hand and walked her into the dance. Kissing her forehead he whispered to her, "It definitely will be."_

_And it was. They danced and laughed and kissed and had fun with their friends. Beck twirled her into a hug and pressed his forehead. "You bored, babe?" he whispered._

_Jade's eyes lit up; he wanted to be alone with her. She nodded, and he took her hand in his. He led her to where the limo was parked, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. "Where are we going?" she whispered as they sat in the car. He was already kissing her neck._

_"Nowhere," he mumbled in between kisses, his lips moving lower on her body._

_It suddenly dawned upon her what he meant, and she shivered in fright, her body tensing all over. "No." She pushed him away as she felt him tug at the skirt of her dress._

_He laughed softly and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, babe." He tugged her dress down her legs, and Jade cursed herself for getting a strapless one._

_She kept pushing him by his shoulders and tried to kick him, but he wouldn't budge. "Come on, Beck, this isn't funny." She tried to sound tough, but her voice cracked with fear, betraying her. What if she couldn't push him off? What if he actually… no. He wouldn't actually do that to her. He said he loved her; he wouldn't betray that just for sex. Would he?_

_Jade finally managed to push him off her and scurried to pull her dress back on. "What the hell is wrong with you, dude?" she yelled at him._

_He looked at her like she was crazy. "Jade, what the hell is wrong with you? You said you wanted this night to be perfect!"_

_Jade scowled at his interpretation of his words. "That's not what I meant, and you know it!"_

_"I know it?" Beck scoffed, "Really? You say you love me for the first time in three years and then suggest that the night be perfect. Jade, you practically asked me to have sex with you!" Jade didn't say anything; all she could do was glare at him and hope that maybe his head would explode. "You know what, whatever. If you don't want to finish what you've started, I'll finish it for you." Beck opened the door and left the limo._

_All Jade could hear was the ringing in her ears; she felt as if someone had stabbed her in the chest. Nothing about this situation made sense, so she focused first on the one thing she knew was worth it. She concentrated on slowing her breathing to a normal rate, ignoring the tears falling from her face. Finally she was able to grasp what had happened to her. Beck, her boyfriend, her best friend, the one person she thought she could trust tried to rape her. She was furious at Beck; he had betrayed her trust. Something else inside of her made her furious with herself. Beck was right; she had brought this on herself. She knew what it implied when she said "I love you." Those were special words. Those words meant that "you" were the only one that "I" wanted; they implied complete trust and loyalty to the other person. Those words were so much more meaningful than boyfriend and girlfriend. They implied that the other person was the most important priority._

_Sniffling at this realization, Jade ran from the limo and in the direction of… where could she go? Not to her parents… not to Beck's. He had been asking for this for a while by telling her he loved her. He was asking permission all this time, and when Jade finally gave it to him she pushed him away. She collapses in a grassy area; Jade thinks it might be Griffith Park. She can't tell if it's dirt or make up on her face, and she doesn't really care. She can't process what's going on. The next thing s_he remembers is waking up on a park bench covered in someone's jacket.

Jade shivered as the memory that came with the dress came flying back to her. Sure, at least if she wears it with Tori and things don't work out she doesn't ruin another outfit. The idea of things not working out with Tori already made her sad, and that reaction made her mad. It infuriated her that even after all the energy she put into not liking Tori, she still found herself liking him more and more. She just had to keep reminding herself that boys always start out perfect.

_xxx_

_Wow a long chapter I guess. I didn't want to end it until you found out what happened to Jade and Beck. I hope you like it. Now you have a little insight behind why Jade's a little scared of Tori._


	9. Chapter 9: Hurtful

Trina had picked out the cutest dress for Tori to wear on her date. It was a lavender purple with a butterfly lace design on the skirt, and Tori would have worn it in a heartbeat… if she didn't have to dress up as Toren. Toren had made her life both a wonderful time and a living nightmare. Toren drew Jade toward her, but he would also inevitably steer her away.

Tori was so confused. Should she tell Jade on the date? After the date? Maybe if Tori told her on a good note she would be able to process it and reach a better conclusion than "never speak to Tori again." Something kept nagging at her though that the longer she kept the secret, the worst it would be when it gets unveiled. Tori's phone went off with a text from Jade. It read: "If I came down with a terminal illness before Friday, would you hold it against me?"

Okay, that answered Tori's question. Jade was already having second thoughts. If she had any reason to pull away from Tori, she'd take it in a heartbeat. Tori texted back, "I would hope that it would be your dying wish to perform all previously accepted obligations. Besides, I have a feeling that you'll like the places I bring you more than the hospital."

Tori's stomach churned unhappily. She was nervous, but why wouldn't she be. She felt like she was hiding the biggest secret in the history of ever. Out of all of Hollywood Arts she assumed that this secret was the most dramatic thing. Jade texted her… him back. "You don't know how much I like hospitals."

Tori had to think of something cute to send Jade to keep her interested. She was having trouble trusting Tori, so Tori had to do something. "You don't know how much I like you." She hoped that was cute enough to reassure any of Jade's reservations. She only hoped that the lack of response was a good thing. Maybe she would tell Jade on their date.

_xxx_

Jade went through the motions of getting ready for school, this time allowing herself to dress nicely. Tori had impressed her, so she of course had to impress him back. She couldn't be outdone after all. Her wavy hair was styled into a messy updo, leaving her curliest bangs hanging down. Her boots and v-neck lacy blue top had always turned heads before, so it should probably work magic on Tori. That was the plan anyway.  
Jade walked into school with her eyes focused on the soda machine directly in front of the entrance. She didn't want to see anyone giving her attention. The eye contact always showed some form of acknowledgment of the other's presence, and of course she'd rather be alone. She swiftly made her way to her locker where she was approached by one of those persons she definitely did not want to see.

Beck stood before her with a stern gaze. Jade dug through her locker - which still smelt of coffee grounds - and rolled her eyes at him. He didn't take the initiative, so she sighed, "What?"

Still, the boy looked at her like she was at fault. "Cat said you had a date?"

Oh, so he was upset with her moving on. He didn't want her to be over him so fast. Hadn't she loved him? She slammed the locker shut. "Oh really?"

"Jade, come on. You don't even know that guy," Beck tried to grab her arm, but she backed away.

Jade glared at him, trying with all her might not to furrow her brows or pout her lip. She couldn't let him see her upset. Not again. "Maybe I'd like to get to know him. That's what dates are, right. Getting to know people. Besides, he already told me he'd respect me, so what's there to lose," Jade tugged her booksack over her shoulder. "Not like boys always mean what they say."

Beck sighed, "Jade, I told you I was sorry. I know you still love me. We can work this out."

"No, we really can't." With that, Jade walked into Sikowitz' classroom. She bit her lip fiercely. She quickly forbade herself from crying in front of the class, even if she didn't care what any of them thought.

"Hey, Jade," a voice stirred her from her spiraling thoughts. She looked up to see Andre Harris sitting himself down next to her. "Tori's sick today, but I wanted to talk to you. Sh… he told me about Friday." Jade raised an eyebrow, but she was still confused about why he was talking to her. "Listen, I know it's kind of weird for me to say this, but Tori's my best friend. He's getting all excited about this date, and like, I just want to know if you're really worth as much as he seems to think you are." Andre was looking her dead in the face; whatever fear he showed of Jade before was gone as he spoke of Tori. "I don't know you, Jade, but I know Tori's the type of person that sees the best in people. Sometimes though, she forgets to look for the worst. I just want to protect him."

Jade was befuddled with what Andre was saying. It was weird that he couldn't keep his pronouns straight first of all, but was what he said true? Tori was planning something big because he thought Jade was important, but why? "I don't know," Jade responded to Andre, who raised a suspicious eyebrow. The goth girl shook her head at his suspicions, "No, I don't plan on hurting Tori, but I don't know why he thinks I'm so special." She wasn't special; Jade had learned that with Beck. Beck chose Jade, and she thought that meant something. When she realized that it was just her physical value that made her important to him, it really gave her a new perspective on relationships.

Jade didn't want a relationship, and she hadn't planned on starting one with Tori. However, something drew her to him, and she was almost happy those times when they hanged out. As much as Jade tried to dislike Tori, she found herself really wanting to be with him. Of course, it seemed necessary to Jade to stay away the more she like Tori. She certainly didn't need a relationship to make her happy. Tori was straight with her though. He said he liked her, but he wanted to be friends if she didn't like him.

Andre's friendly voice once again distracted her, "Well, as long as you don't want to hurt he-im. About why Tori likes you so much - Tori's a good kid. Everyone he's been interested in has always started out good. Tori's been hurt before, so I guess that's why sh-he's working so hard to impress you. He doesn't want to hurt the person he likes." Jade gulped at what she heard. Without another word to Andre, Jade stood up and made a break to the door.

She hid herself in the nearby janitor's closet once again. She slammed a fist into the wall and cringed as the skin scraped against its rough surface at full force. Jade could not believe what Andre had told her. Tori was being so perfect and so nice to her because he had been hurt before. When Jade got hurt she made it impossible for others to get close to her, and Tori does all he can to make up for the hurt he felt. Maybe he thought that he would make others feel happy because no one deserved to feel so bad.

Jade took her scissors out of her backpack. Absolutely no one deserved to feel as bad as Jade had, and absolutely no one had the right to make Tori feel so badly that he still needs to make up for it.

Jade wanted to add a slice to her stomach because of how awful she felt. No, there was still another option. She took out her phone and dialed the number that she had hovered her finger over so often that she practically had it memorized. This time she actually pressed it. "Hello?" On the phone was a very congested sounding Tori. His voice sounded higher and scratchier, but that was probably because of the illness.

Jade couldn't help herself from sniffling as she felt the tears fall down her face. "I'm sorry," she stuttered, those words hard on her tongue. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she kept repeating.

Tori coughed on the other end of the line, and Jade could tell he was adjusting himself. "Whoa, Jade, what's going on?"

"You shouldn't have to feel that way," Jade choked out, "you don't have to impress everybody."

Tori cleared his throat, but his voice was still scratchy, "Jade, what's going on? You're scaring me."

"I tried so hard to push you away," Jade mumbled, not processing what Tori was saying, "you know, so I wouldn't get hurt… again. All this time you were trying to help me… and I was hurting you…"

There was a pause on the other end, and the silence was filled with coughs and sobs from either party. Finally Tori said, "You know where I was going to take you? On our date?" Jade waited for him to continue. "I was going to take you to Griffith Park for Shakespeare in the Park. Then we could walk right downtown to the cupcake shop my uncle works at, and we could eat free cupcakes until you wanted to go home." Jade couldn't find her voice as she continued to sniffle. "You're right. I wanted the night to be perfect."

Jade finally found her voice, "It doesn't have to be."

"What's brought this on, anyway?"

The goth girl dabbed at the tears in her eyes. "Andre told me… he told me someone hurt you."

Once again there was a pause filled with sniffles and wheezes. "Yeah," Tori said softly, "someone did, but that's okay. I'm not with that someone anymore."

"I don't want to hurt you," Jade said softly.

Tori hummed roughly, "I don't think you will."

_xxx_

_yoooo. Vulnerable Jade is so fun to write. Next chapter's their date. At least that's my plan. I already switched it up from what I wanted it to be. I'm glad you guys are liking this. Your reviews are so great. :3 thanks so much for reading, and till next time be vicjorious!_


	10. Chapter 10: What Might Be

Tori kept talking to Jade for another half an hour before finally convincing her to go to class. Jade would apologize, and Tori would tell a joke to distract her. This was an overwhelming phone call.

Finally when the line rang dead Tori sighed with relief. It was bad enough having to tell Andre the story, but now it seemed that telling Jade would be part of their new date - which they agreed would not be Shakespeare in the park and would be Jade's treat since coffee was on Tori. Tori was kind of glad they weren't going to Griffith Park. The last thing she wanted to do was see that playground or the swings or the benches.

_Tori and Dannielle had been dating for about a year by then. "Tori!" Danni screamed at Tori, who was chasing her. Tori squealed as she ran up the slide behind her girlfriend. It was a beautiful Saturday night, and Dannielle had invited her to the park for a date. Tori pounced onto Danni, and the girls tumbled in each other's arms down the slide. They landed in the sand with Danni on top of Tori. Danni gave a strange smile then sat up. "Let's talk on the swings."_

_Tori thought that was a bit weird, but nonetheless she followed her girlfriend to the swings. They sat side by side, swinging in opposite directions. Danni was looking downward when she said it. "I was with someone else."_

_Tori halted in her swinging and looked at the other girl with questioning brown eyes. "What?"_

_Her girlfriend gave a reassuring smile as if this was some rotten joke. "It was just sex though; it wasn't a big deal."_

_Tori stood from her swing and full on stared at Dannielle. "Not a big deal? You had sex with someone else, and you think that's not a big deal?"_

_"You said sex's not important to you," Danielle explained._

_Tori shook her head. "No, I said I didn't need to have sex to have a relationship. It is very much important to me."_

_"And I'm not?" Danni countered._

_Tori glared, "Don't even start with that. You know how much I liked you. When you asked about having sex with me, I said I wanted to wait. It hasn't even been a year, Dannielle. I don't want to have sex with someone when I don't know if they'll be in my future or not. It's one of the most important things to me."_

_Dannielle tried to touch Tori's shoulder, but the Latina yanked her arm away. "Come on, Tor, let's talk about it. I think we can work it out."_

_Tori shook her head and began walking away. "I don't want to be with someone who will cheat on me."_

_Dannielle left shortly after that, but Tori didn't want to go home upset. She wandered around the park for hours and then collapsed on a bench. She couldn't believe that Danni had done that to her. Tori wiped a stray tear and tried not to let anymore run down her face. She looked up at the sky and saw the moon illuminating the night. When had it gotten so late? Tori was distracted by some faint sniffling. Sitting beside her on the bench was a beautiful girl in a dark green dress crying her eyes out. She probably hadn't even noticed Tori there. "Hey?" Tori said softly, alerting the girl of her presence. "You okay?"_

_The girl gave her a look that indicated that duh she was not okay. "Just peachy," she spat._

_Tori chuckled dryly then looked back up to the moon. "You look like I did an hour ago. My girlfriend cheated on me. What happened to you?" Tori didn't remember being this bitter, but the anger and hurt must have gotten to her head._

_The girl sniffled and wiped her eyes. "My boyfriend almost raped me, and it was my fault." Tori looked shellshocked at the girl. "I guess I win?" she mumbled in a humorless manner._

_Tori sat up and looked at the girl with more care. That sounded serious. "That couldn't be your fault."_

_"Why not?" she practically spat, "I gave him all the wrong signals."_

_Tori shook her head. "It is never okay if you did not consent. He needs to man up and take responsibility."_

_The girl looked Tori in the eye and pleaded with her, as if Tori didn't understand. Her eyes were a tortured blue-green that begged Tori to take back what she said. "I said I loved him."_

_Tori's eyes began to well with tears at her own situation and how fractured this beautiful girl before her was. It wasn't fair for someone so pretty to be so shattered. Especially this way. It wasn't okay for anyone to feel this way. "That doesn't give him permission," Tori said to her._

_The girl's eyes turned downcast and she gave out an empty laugh. "I don't want to go home tonight."_

_Tori took the coat from her back and gave it to the girl. "My mother should be picking me up soon. If you're going to stay out, take this. It's getting chilly."_

_"Thanks," the girl whispered, wrapping the coat around her arms. As soon as the motion was finished, a car horn alerted Tori that her mother was there to take her home. Tori gave the girl another weak smile before going to walk away. "Thanks for cheering me up," the girl mumbled so softly that Tori could barely hear it._

_"No problem," Tori said right back and walked away. It was the worst night of her life, but helping that girl made her feel so much better. Jade was right; Tori was trying to impress everyone. She wanted to make others feel better because no one deserved to be hurt like Tori was._

Tori sighed and ran through the boy section of her closet to look for something to wear on her date with Jade. Where would it be? She couldn't begin to guess what Jade was planning for them. Tori gulped. When would she tell Jade the secret now? Jade had been hurt too, and the last thing Tori wanted to do was hurt her again with another big secret. Especially after that vulnerable moment they had just shared.

_xxx_

Jade sighed as she sat in her normal seat in scriptwriting. She wanted to write something fresh and different from her previous works. Today had been one of the best days since before Beck left her, and she almost wanted to write a comedy. Still, her phone call with Tori lingered in her mind. Someone so perfect came out of something so flawed? How amazing was that, but Tori seemed so sad too. He felt an obligation to everyone before himself, and Jade hated that. He was supposed to be his own priority because people were vicious. He had to take care of himself because no one else would.

_Two little children, a boy and a girl, were playing a game of patty cake. They chanted and patted hands in rhythm until the rhyme comes to an end, and they repeat. Suddenly the girl stands up and slaps the boy in his face. "Sorry," she says before sitting back down. "It's okay," the boy responds, and they continue their game. Once again, the rhyme comes to an end and the little girl stands up. This time she kicks the boy in his chest. He coughs at the impact, and she sits down again. "Sorry," she says, and once again he responds, "It's okay."_

They continue the game and this time the girl stands up and kisses the boy at the end of the rhyme. She forces her tongue in his mouth and slithers it down his throat, making him gag. She steps on his toes and claws at his stomach and begins to rip away his clothing. She pushes him away and looks at his torn and defeated body. "I'm sorry," she says before walking off the stage. There's a pause, and the lights go dim. "It's okay," he says before the lights black out completely.

_ xxx_

_I don't know how many words this is yet, but I'm assuming it's kind of short. The date will be next chapter for sure. I know I promised, but hey. At least I'm updating. The date has changed. So what do you want to happen? :D Thanks so much for the reviews; I love you all._


	11. Author's Note: Temporary Hiatus

**Hey guys it's me. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be updating anytime soon. For one thin I'm going on vacation, but there's a bigger more personal reason that's making it so much harder to concentrate on… well, anything. So, I wanted to let you guys know. I'm okay, but this story is on a temporary hiatus. I will update when I can. Sorry (:**


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